I have been struggling to keep up with the Blog (I've never been much of a writer...) But in going through some old posts from the previous Ministry leader here at Park Free CR, I found one that is so relevant to our messages this month.
Dean, besides being the CR Minsitry leader, was my sponsor. A man who poured so much of God's love and encouragement into me, that I had HOPE...
So now a word from my sponsor.
What to do in times of trouble
Ever wonder what in the world is going on in your life? Ever wonder what you should do when the path is hard to follow and you're overwhelmed with the daily struggle? Do you trust God? Is he really in control? Well, to answer those questions I thought maybe you'd find something interesting that was mailed to me today. I subscribe to a weekly email from James McDonald from Walk in the Word ministries in Illinois. This week he talks about those things, and it relates directly to our recovery in whatever we're seeking freedom from. I hope you find this short article helpful and inspiring. God Bless.
God Is Always In Control; I Will Not Doubt
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." - Proverbs 3:5-6
Someone has said that doubt is cancer of the soul. Like a wrecking ball against your house, doubt pounds away and damages the structure of the most important thing about you - what you believe about God.
However, if in times of doubt we take our questions directly to the Lord, then our faith increases. We can't claim we won't doubt; instead, we aim toward knowing what to do with doubts when they do come at us. The promises of God and His character can stand under the most microscopic scrutiny. Doubts should drive us back to God's promises, not cause us to back away from Him! When you say, "I don't know exactly what God is doing, but I know He's in control" —that's evidence you're trusting Him. You don't realize how much you need God's promises until your smooth and easy life suddenly turns sideways. That is the time to dig into God's Word and get something to wrap your faith around.
As we've already seen, God makes two kinds of promises — conditional and unconditional. This one is conditional - you've got to do something. You have got to trust in the Lord with all your heart. You have got to acknowledge Him in all of your ways without leaning on your own understanding. If you do your part, God will do His part. "He will make straight your paths" (Proverbs 3:6b). The wording I memorized as a kid says, "He shall direct thy paths" (KJV). That means He will make your paths smooth — God will make the way passable.
Proverbs 3:5–6 is really quite a commitment on God's part. There are no illusions here. This is God we're talking about. "Is anything too hard for the LORD?" (Genesis 18:14). He can handle anything that's in your path with one hand tied behind His back. A common way we express this is by saying, God is in control.
There are times when all we can see is the hard road and the heavy load. But the Lord promises that if you trust in Him with all your heart, and that if you do not lean on your own understanding, and that if you acknowledge Him in all your ways, then He will make your paths smooth. God will pave the way for you.
God Is Always In Control; I Will Not Doubt
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." - Proverbs 3:5-6
Someone has said that doubt is cancer of the soul. Like a wrecking ball against your house, doubt pounds away and damages the structure of the most important thing about you - what you believe about God.
However, if in times of doubt we take our questions directly to the Lord, then our faith increases. We can't claim we won't doubt; instead, we aim toward knowing what to do with doubts when they do come at us. The promises of God and His character can stand under the most microscopic scrutiny. Doubts should drive us back to God's promises, not cause us to back away from Him! When you say, "I don't know exactly what God is doing, but I know He's in control" —that's evidence you're trusting Him. You don't realize how much you need God's promises until your smooth and easy life suddenly turns sideways. That is the time to dig into God's Word and get something to wrap your faith around.
As we've already seen, God makes two kinds of promises — conditional and unconditional. This one is conditional - you've got to do something. You have got to trust in the Lord with all your heart. You have got to acknowledge Him in all of your ways without leaning on your own understanding. If you do your part, God will do His part. "He will make straight your paths" (Proverbs 3:6b). The wording I memorized as a kid says, "He shall direct thy paths" (KJV). That means He will make your paths smooth — God will make the way passable.
Proverbs 3:5–6 is really quite a commitment on God's part. There are no illusions here. This is God we're talking about. "Is anything too hard for the LORD?" (Genesis 18:14). He can handle anything that's in your path with one hand tied behind His back. A common way we express this is by saying, God is in control.
There are times when all we can see is the hard road and the heavy load. But the Lord promises that if you trust in Him with all your heart, and that if you do not lean on your own understanding, and that if you acknowledge Him in all your ways, then He will make your paths smooth. God will pave the way for you.
